Convince Me
by Aleatoire
Summary: The Cullens are the ruling class of the Volturi, strict and traditional. What happens when Edward is ordered to go and meet with a new coven of 'Vegetarian' vampires called the Swans? Will he find romance with the youngest, Bella? AU!
1. Different kind of coven

**NEW STORY! YAY! Hope you like! Just read… (EPOV)**

If there was any part of this 'life' that I hated, it was the meetings, the debating, and the gossiping: court. What an annoyingly meticulous thing to have to endure.

My father, Carlisle Cullen, was in control, and _he_ was the one who decided to hold court here in Volterra. When I became ruler, I vowed to abolish it. I supremely detested it, not only due to the tedious amount of pointless conversation – I read all their minds anyways, what could they possibly say without first thinking it? – but also because Mother insisted on having me meet a number of eligible and 'suitable' vampire ladies. Eligible they might be, but they were far from suitable.

I hated all of them. They were all the same: icily beautiful, cutthroat, supremely bitchy, and wholly demanding. If anyone thought the men ran the show around Volterra, they were deathly wrong.

The female dominance was especially evident in the relationships of my parents, or my brothers and sisters. Esme, my mother, practically told my father when to hunt and what, and how to run the city. My 'sisters,' – we were not related in any way - Rosalie and Alice, ruled over their husbands, my 'brothers' Emmett and Jasper, with iron fists, Rosalie because she was self-absorbed, and Alice because she was overenthusiastic.

So I was the only man of the ruling Cullens who had yet to find himself a bitch wife. The 'crown prince,' as I was so affectionately dubbed, with no ice princess!

Aside from bitchy women and the annoyance of court, Volterra was a vampire's dream: Italy was full of overcurious tourists to feed off of, and tourists _always_ went missing anyways, so they were essentially write-offs and no one ever bothered to think twice about their disappearance. We were the best at our way of life, and had it down to an art.

That's why the Swans had perplexed me so.

I was sitting, as I usually did, on the smaller throne to the right of my father, slightly behind him – we were thousands of years old and still very feudal and traditional – when I picked up on a certain word in his thoughts: vegetarian. What had he meant by it? Then he said it aloud.

"It seems we have a very strange situation, friends," My father sighed openly, looking down onto the group of attentive red eyed monsters below the dais where we were situated, "About two centuries ago, a small vampire coven established themselves in Alaska, and changed their feeding habits. They decided to feed solely on animals, and coexist peacefully alongside humans in human society. At the time, my daughter Alice did not see them surviving. It seems that they are still, in fact, alive, and have moved to the small town of Forks, Washington. It is at this time that I would like to send a few of our people to meet with them and try to gain more understanding about their strange way of life."

He had finished his speech, and as the group began to chatter amongst themselves, I glared at him from my chair. He had left something out.

I had no time to bring it up though, because he was speaking again.

"Court is adjourned. Go in peace," That was my father. I shook my head as Carlisle stood up in front of me. A room full of vampires, and he was concerned about all of us going in peace. We were all going to hell in _pieces_ as far as I knew.

"Emmett, Edward, come here," My father called from across the hall, and I met my brother halfway and ran to where we had been beckoned.

"Yes Father?" I asked, though I could hazard a guess at what he wanted. That was more for Emmett's benefit.

"Walk with me," He demanded, politely enough. As we obliged he explained, "I want you both to go to Forks with Felix and Demetri. You will leave tomorrow at dawn. Felix and Demetri are already aware."

He dismissed Emmett with a wave of his hand and he ran off in the other direction, no doubt to Rosalie.

He had more to say to me, I knew. "There is another reason I want you to accompany them, Edward. As I'm sure you are aware, you are the next in line to the title of ruler here, and once my term comes to end in another 500 years, you will be taking over." He smiled sideways at me and inclined his head, then stopped walking abruptly and turned to face me. "However, as the laws of Volterra are set, you cannot take over without first being married."

Oh great, so it was back to the bitch wife thing. I narrowly avoided rolling my eyes in front of him, and instead replied, "Yes Father, I'm more than aware of our laws."

"Good," He smiled again, "Now, the Swan coven in Forks has two females: one is married to the male, and the other is their daughter. As I am told, she was their daughter in their human life as well. You must go with Emmett, Felix and Demetri, and convince the younger female to marry you."

"Convincing her will be difficult Father," I reminded him, voicing his thoughts.

"Yes Edward, she does have an unusual talent which would be extremely valuable to our city." Carlisle knew he didn't have to explain himself to me, but I believe he was trying to hold normal conversation. "She would be an excellent co-ruler for you, and I am sure you will find her to your liking."

"Father, you've never met her," I broke away from my polite mask to turn away as I said harshly, "She's probably the same as every vampire female here!"

Carlisle flinched, well aware of how the vampire females here were, and sympathized with me, "She's a vegetarian, Edward, how much different can she get from these females?"

"I suppose that is true sir," I agreed, "I will try to convince her to marry me, if her talent allows me to convince her at all."

"Good luck, son," He squeezed my shoulder in a rare attempt to level with me, and walked away.

I stood there a great many minutes before I realized I didn't even know the girl's name.

_Bella._

I'd heard it as clearly as if my father was beside me, and I supposed he must have realized what he didn't tell me.

Bella eh? Well her name sounded promising: I hoped she was more beautiful, as her name implied, than bitchy at least.

**Whoa! How was that? Short I know, but please review, and if you need clarification at all, ask me!**

**REVIEW PLEASE!!**


	2. Carlisle

**Okay, yes some of you have said that some characters are OOC… maybe a bit but here we get a look into Carlisle's mind… **

**Hopefully it will explain everything and he won't seem so OOC – Also, everyone else will seem OOC (like Edward) but they have grown up in a different sort of culture and it's what they're all used to, they all have basically the same personality though. **

**Oh, and for those of you wondering why Edward keeps saying bitch, it's because he really DOES NOT LIKE any of the Volturi ladies, so I felt a strong word was in need there. ;)**

**REVIEW!**

**CarlislePOV:**

After bidding my sons goodbye and instilling my blessing on my wife's garden party, I retreated to the East Tower to mull over my decision safely, now that Edward was out of listening range.

I wanted Edward to be happy, that much was certain, but I was just worried how he would go about achieving that. He hadn't seemed very optimistic at the prospect of trying to find a wife here, and I didn't blame him. Aside from Esme, Alice, and perhaps Rosalie, the women here were relentless. Edward knew that possibly better than I, due to the extent of his power.

That's why I had to stay away from him as much as possible in hopes that by distancing myself from him, my thoughts would remain distant as well. It was hard not to tell him the truth, but I worried how he would accept it. I had gotten very good at hiding the truth from him: he saw me as a cold ruler with little compassion for my subjects or the humans we preyed upon, and as much as I hated for him to think so, that's how it had to be, or they would kill me.

Marcus, Caius, and Aro essentially controlled my life.

I had come to Volterra after two years of stumbling around as a newborn, repulsed by what I was but hunting to stay alive. Aro found me, and brought me back with him to the city.

They had told me they were thousands of years old, had built and established the city of Volterra, and called themselves the Volturi. They had said they were essentially the government of the vampire world.

That sounded legit enough to me, the son of a British pastor, and so I was in. As I lived and studied with them – the humans believed us to be scholars – Marcus, the ruler, became slightly suspicious of me and my ways of hunting. According to him, I was 'too careful' with my prey, never using my entire strength, maintaining shreds of self-control instead of completely letting go. Caius and Aro were soon suspicious as well, but Aro found a use for my 'talent.'

They all had it in their minds that I was to be the next ruler once Marcus' term ended, and I found myself believing them. I was eager to learn, and found I would do anything to lead this city and society. Perhaps I could use my rule to my advantage, and create a city of vampires that was not dependent on humans for survival. I had fed off an animal once, in desperation, but Marcus, Caius and Aro forced me back into a life of predation on humans. They had no notion of what I had done once, and I didn't intend on telling them anytime soon.

So they sent me on a 'mission' that would utilize my talents: recruit more vampires, especially ones that might have 'special talents.' I did as they asked, but I told myself that I was not recruiting, but that I was creating a family for myself.

While I traveled Europe, ten years after my 'birth' in 1331 and eight years after coming to Volterra, I slipped back into my old hunting habits, meeting with my morals once again. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to resist human blood, even though it was all I'd drank in eight years. Animals sustained me just as well, and eventually I made a decision: I knew that I could never prey on wholly healthy humans just to serve my own purposes of recruitment, so I used what knowledge I possessed to gain the position of the village doctor in a large fiefdom in Southern England.

I remained in this post for roughly six years, but was forced to abandon it. After all, I wasn't getting any older looking, and I had managed to recruit one vampire: my wife.

Esme had been grief stricken after her baby – which I helped birth – had died, only three days after it had been born. She tried to commit suicide, and everyone believed her to have succeeded. I was given the task of burying her, since the priest believed her suicide was the ultimate sin and would not touch her. How ironic that he was handing her body over to a blood drinker, possibly the most sinful creature ever to walk on Earth!

As I carried her into the forest, a shovel in my hand as well, she stirred. I nearly dropped her in surprise, and mentally slapped myself for not listening for her heartbeat. Her eyes opened wide in alarm when she realized she was still alive, but she promptly fell unconscious once more. I now had a decision to make: go back to the village with her, where she was most definitely going to be shunned or killed, or kill her myself. Then I remembered my mission, so I changed her on the spot, went deeper into the forest for the three days, explained to her what she now was, and stole back to Volterra with her, leaving the townspeople to wonder about my sudden disappearance. They would probably have made up a legend about us, something along the lines of her sinful ghost murdering me. How utterly ridiculous!

She was besotted with me, and I soon found myself falling in love with her. She was a beautiful creature, with long flowing caramel hair and a slim, slightly rounded figure. Her eyes were blood red, and I knew I couldn't allow her to prey on animals or know that I ever had.

So I taught her how to hunt humans on our way back to Italy, but I could tell she detested it. She did it only to stay alive and to stay with me. I knew then I could never tell her about the animal prey alternative, for the Volturi would discover it, and they would kill us both. Only _I _could keep my thoughts much more secret from them.

The Volturi had been ecstatic that I had found myself a wife, which I would need in order to rule, but they wanted more. They wanted me to find myself a son, and a daughter, with special talents, since in their eyes, Esme had none.

She did to me though. She had the same strong compassion for humans as I, but she hid it well, just as I had learned to do. I found myself dreaming of a way out of this life and into one of freedom, where we could live and hunt as we pleased, but I knew we were trapped. The Volturi were much too powerful for a newborn and sixteen year old vampire to overthrow.

So I would wait for an opportunity. I had forever anyways.

Thirty years later, I returned to Volterra and my dear Esme, with, as the Volturi had requested, a son and a daughter.

I had fast discovered Edward's talent right after I had changed him – he had been dying of the Black Plague - and we were on the move again. I had been thinking vividly of Esme's beautiful face when he asked me if she was my wife.

I was utterly stunned and taken aback – had I spoken aloud? – but he smiled at me apologetically and explained what he could do. From then on I simply refused to think about my animal hunting days, vowing to forget it permanently as soon as I could. Edward's talent had me worried that he would discover my secret, but I did well, and even though I battled with myself over the years about whether or not to tell my family, no one found out the truth.

I watched as Rosalie, my first daughter, save Emmett and brought him to us, and as Jasper and Alice came to us. Each of them brought something special to this life: Rosalie her tenacity, Emmett his strength, Jasper his empathy, and Alice her intuition.

They were all so talented, and I wanted a better life for them other than this sick life of murder they were all so accustomed to. It broke my heart to have to keep the animal hunting strategy from them, because I knew they would love it if they were aware of it. However, we would most likely be sentenced to death if we ever tried to adopt it.

Then, about two hundred years ago and three hundred years into my rule, the Swans were bitten. We thought nothing of this small addition to our world at the time, until they had made the decision a few years into their new 'life' to feed solely off of animals, becoming 'vegetarians,' as the Volturi so scathingly called them. I was inwardly thrilled that someone had decided to try this way of life. They lived in Northern Canada at the time, and Alice did not see them living. So we didn't bother to look into it.

After all, there were no laws forbidding vampires to hunt animals. I was only forbidden because it was regarded upon blatantly by the Volturi, and I was the one in power – though I was wholly controlled by the three most evil vampires I had ever met. Any person in my position who decided to try and go against these three was certainly wishing for their death. But an insignificant coven of three vampires in the New World could try this lifestyle, though they were presumed to fail.

Yet here we were again, two hundred years later, and the three were still alive, and living _among_ humans. According to Alice, the youngest, the unmarried female, had decided to go to high school, and the oldest, the male, was to be the small town's new police chief. I could understand that. After all, I had charaded as the village doctor once.

So I had made the decision to send Felix, Demetri, Emmett and Edward to Forks. Any other ruler would have sent Jane as well, but I wasn't that cruel. Marcus, Caius and Aro seemed to accept my decision.

Hopefully, Edward would be able to convince the young female to come back here with him and adopt our way of life, in hopes that one day they would marry. Hopefully. But if I had the free life she had, I would vehemently refuse. One never knew though, it could work.

It would have to. We needed her power.

That was my second objective in trying to convince her to come to Volterra. She had the most unique power I had ever heard of, and with any luck, Edward would be able to get past it and do some convincing of his own.

**SO I AM NOT TELLING YOU HER POWER YET! Some of you might be able to guess it, especially if you've been reading my other story, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. (HINT HINT HINT ;)**

**REVIEW!! Hope you liked Carlisle's POV, next chapter is in Bella's POV. And hopefully you can see that not every character is that OOC! :)**

**Lots of love,**

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**


	3. Bella

**Bella's POV time… And you finally get to know her power, just in case you didn't already guess… **

**REVIEW!!**

"Good luck honey!" My biological mother, Renee Swan, hugged me tight, her golden eyes bright with happiness. "Your first day of high school! I'm so proud!"

I'd already been to college once, and she'd been proud then, which I could understand, but proud of me now, for deciding to attend public high school?

My father, Charlie, had already gone off to his new job as Police Chief here in Forks, so that was one less embarrassment to endure. He'd wanted to see me off, but I'd persuaded him otherwise.

I felt a little guilty about doing it though, because after Renee had released me she said, "Your father wishes you well too."

"I'll be fine Mom," I reassured her, and I was glad she couldn't cry, or else the tears would have been flowing full force now. "I'm not thirsty at all! I'll behave, don't worry."

"One thing Bella," She said this quietly, and even though I was at the end of the driveway by then, I heard her. "Don't overuse your power. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you always have to use it."

I scowled in response, but I laughed as I swung myself into the front seat of my red Volvo. She laughed as well. No doubt she was remembering my college days, as I was. I'd loved to use my talent in college.

According to Renee, who had done a lot of research on the matter in her two hundred plus years, vampires very rarely had special talents, and the largest group of them with specific, unique powers lived in Italy. They had intrigued me, and I'd always wanted to meet them. The coven we'd met in Alaska had said there was a mind reader, an empath, a psychic and a pain bringer.

No one had heard of my talent though. Then again, no coven had ever lived like ours before either. In my earlier years, I tried to convince other vampires we'd met to change their lifestyle as well, but my power hadn't been strong enough. Eventually I'd stopped trying, and we kept to ourselves. _We_ were happy feeding off of animals, and that was good enough. No one had tried to kill us yet because of it.

We were doing so well with the new life that I decided to go to college. An institution crowded with thousands of humans. I resisted them all, but not without great struggle. My parents were ecstatic, so we decided to begin living in areas permanently for allotted amounts of time. Seventy years was our longest. That had been in Alaska, but we'd hardly seen any people, and as we encroached closer to the human population there, we discovered it was too sunny to be within seeing distance of them. So my mother did some research, and here we were: Forks, Washington. The rainiest city in all of the United States of America.

So I was headed off to Forks High School. As I pulled into the parking lot a little faster than I should have, I noticed that my car would most definitely stick out here. Everyone had varied boring shades of color to their cars, and they were mostly old Toyotas and Fords with a Chevy here and there. Nothing new. I chuckled to myself as I realized that I was the oldest person – or being rather – but I had the newest car. Ironic.

I walked over to the building labeled 'Office' and strode through the doors with grace. I walked up to the counter, and the receptionist glanced up, realized she didn't know me – there was a small populace of students here – and asked my name.

"Isabella Swan," I responded in a perfect, musical voice, and the receptionist blinked slowly before turning to a stack of papers. I smiled inwardly. We had that effect on people.

"Here you are Miss Swan," She handed me a small pile of papers. "I hope you find all of your classes alright, and that you find Forks to your liking.

"Thank you so much," I flashed her a brilliant smile and turned to walk out into the grey morning drizzle again.

I looked down at my list of junior classes – I was bitten at about eighteen, but I don't remember it at all – and smiled. Spanish, Trigonometry, English, PE and Biology… Nothing I couldn't handle.

My assumption turned out to be correct, and the six hours of monotony went by faster than I'd originally thought.

Everyone seemed to love me, which was fine, but in cases such as Mike Newton, it was just highly annoying.

The blonde surfer wannabe followed me around all day, and I almost lost it and used my full power of convincement on him to make him go away, but I abstained. Besides, I'd rather watch him try and be rejected publicly instead of seemingly 'changing his mind.'

That's what I did. At the beginning, I could only persuade people to say the truth instead of lie, and I could do so completely undetected, albeit a bit messily. I discovered if I did it to one person over and over, their brain went slightly addled for a while.

So I worked on it, and eventually my technique became more refined, my power of persuasion almost flawless. _Now_ I could literally force someone to change their mind, or to say something they didn't want to.

It was a good thing I wasn't a sadist.

I pulled up to the house, which was fairly far into the forest, so I ran to the door after parking. I flung it open and called, "Mom! I'm home!"

I reminded myself of a normal human girl for the first time in two hundred years.

Then I smelled it. Foreign vampires, roughly four by the power of the scent. I growled low in my throat. Why were they here?

"In here Bella, dear," My mother called from the small living room adjoined to the kitchen where I was currently standing. Her voice sounded slightly strained.

"Hello," A lilting, melodic male voice greeted me as I walked into the room. I glanced in the direction of the voice, and my golden eyes met with his blood red ones.

I stopped dead in my tracks as my mind digested the image of him sitting on my couch. He was beautiful, possibly the most beautiful vampire I had ever seen. His skin was slightly darker than my own, but still pale, and his face was perfect from all angles. His mouth was currently resting in a pleasant smile, and his eyes looked kind enough, despite their hue. His hair was a beautiful reddish brown, almost bronze. I forced myself to look down from his face and saw what he was wearing.

He had on an unbuttoned black traveling cloak that I hadn't seen the likes of in over a hundred years, and underneath he wore a black tunic with a small coat of arms embroidered in gold. It said 'Cullen' on it, along with a Latin phrase that I didn't bother to comprehend. He looked like something straight out of a Renaissance Faire.

"I was wondering that myself, Renee," He said suddenly, and my mother's eyes snapped up to meet his in alarm. So _this_ was the mind reader. He looked at me questioningly and asked, "Bella, right? You don't look very pleased to see me."

"Read my mind there," I responded stiffly, refusing to think of anything but my displeasure at his presence, even though he had a very stunning one.

"I'm sorry, but I can't seem to do so," He smiled but his eyes appeared sad, and he looked away from my gaze.

"Why is that Edward?" I glanced away from Edward, as I supposed he was called, and saw that there were three other vampires sitting with him. The one who had just spoken was wearing the same outfit as him, and the other two were wearing their black cloaks buttoned up to their necks, making their skin appear much more pallid than it already was.

"I… I don't know," Edward admitted, and I was surprised to hear so much grief in his voice. He couldn't read my mind; so what?

"Why are you here?" I demanded suddenly, angry that they had scared my mother. Indeed, she was sitting in the armchair in the corner, her eyes frantic.

"We were… curious about your way of life," One of the ones in a buttoned up cloak answered me. "We were hoping you could show us how you hunt."

"No one else has bothered to care before," I snapped, annoyed at these vampires. My mother shook her head silently from behind me. I don't know why she was so scared of these odd people.

"No one else rules over the vampire world," The second buttoned up cloak one answered quietly and ominously. "Edward here is the crown–"

"Felix!" The tall one with the brown curly hair and the tunic hissed from the corner. Too late. I had already gone looking.

I put a mask of polite attentiveness on my face as I delved into the one called Felix's mind, and found what he had wanted to say fairly easily, as well as something else. Edward was the crown prince, the next in line to the throne in… Volterra, their city in Italy. They called themselves the Volturi. Edward was supposed to convince me to come and live with them. Felix didn't know why. I would find out though. Eventually, I ended up letting him get away clean, not forcing him to say anything.

I smiled up at all four of them now, my voice sickeningly sweet as I said, "Once my father returns from work, I am sure he would be honored to allow you all to accompany us on a small hunt. In the meantime, may I get any of you anything?"

"We have not hunted in a while," Edward confessed, and I noticed his eyes were darker than I supposed they should be.

"You can't hunt here," I replied through gritted teeth, "Not unless you wish to hunt game as we do."

The one who had silenced Felix answered instead, "We will do as you wish, and hunt with you once your father returns. We swear not to harm a human while we are visiting here."

Edward glared at him, but I was grateful. I didn't want them to cause us to have to leave Forks. The more cooperation on their part, the better. They had come here unwanted, and now they would do as asked. A fine exchange in my eyes.

Charlie wouldn't be home for a few more hours, and my mother looked in no condition to hold polite conversation, so I did so, rather stiffly though.

Eventually I asked, "How did you know about us?"

Edward supplied me with no more but, "We have our ways."

That sort of answer made me angry, so I smiled, but really I was going into his mind.

"I wouldn't try it," He whispered, his mouth barely moving. "I saw what you were doing to Felix earlier. I may not be able to read what you're thinking, but I can guess what you're doing."

_This_ infuriated me. I barely knew him, but I felt as if we had been acquaintances for years as I glared at him now. How _dare_ he come here unwanted! No matter how beautiful and royal he was, he would not get away with intrusion here! I growled at him, crouching into position.

Immediately, the black cloaked male whose name I did not know had pounced on me. I was slammed hard into the wall, and I growled even louder in fury. My mother stood up, and soon she was growling too, no longer afraid of these stupid, stupid men.

"Miss Swan," _He_ addressed me politely as I remained pinned against the wall, "I really do understand what you're feeling right now, and I must agree I would feel the same way. However, my father will not take it too kindly that you have disobeyed our orders and wishes, so if you would like to remain alive, I strongly advise you to comply. We have promised not to hunt humans on your land, and you have agreed to show us how you hunt in turn. Then we shall be on our way, and you will most likely never hear from us again. Demetri, please release her."

He said this all politely enough, but I knew better. As Demetri freed me from his hold I shrieked, "You're lying!" in Edward's face and ran upstairs to my room.

Why? Why oh why did he have to be so beautiful and so absurdly evil at the same time? He seemed adequately nice, educated and well-mannered, but he was a liar, and he knew I knew that.

"Bella?" My father pushed open the door and found me lying on my floor, head in my hands. "Your mother told me what happened."

"Where is he?" I whispered, "Where did he go?"

They have left for a time, but they will be back," Charlie came over and took me in his arms, pulling me up into an embrace. "They're just curious Bella. They will leave eventually."

"You're wrong!" I told him fiercely, my anger getting the best of me again, "He's a liar Dad! A no good, royal liar! He wants _me_ Dad! He was sent to get _me_!"

My father's face turned to one of alarm as he looked into my eyes. "Are you sure?" He finally asked, his voice uncharacteristically nervous.

**Yay Chapter Three! That was Bella's POV, hope you liked that! I'm not sure who's POV the next one will be in, so you can tell me your preference in a review.**

**REVIEW!!**

**Thanks!**

**Yay for Edward meeting Bella. They will speak more as this goes on, and I'm sure you'll find it to your liking. **

**Jacob comes in soon too! Don't worry, I'm anti-Jacob/Bella, so there will be nothing there, especially since she's a vamp and he's a dog…**

**Love love love from**

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**


	4. Edward

Edward's POV of meeting Bella…

**Edward's POV of meeting Bella…**

**Enjoy!**

**REVIEW!**

Getting to Forks took longer than expected. We'd had to swim the Atlantic and down the St. Lawrence River, all the while staying away from the human population and there less than perfect eyesight. We ran parallel with the 49th Parallel all the way down to Vancouver, and then swam down to Port Angeles. From there, we ran to Forks.

We'd had a few mishaps on the way, including Felix running into an iceberg and destroying it, me misjudging the distance away from the humans and nearly being seen, and, possibly the worst, Emmett confronted and killed a grizzly bear somewhere outside of Forks. All in all, the trip took four days, and I had been hoping for three.

We were here now though. As we entered the city from the North, I could see why a coven of vampires wishing to live among humans would choose to live here. This quaint little town looked as if the skies above were set on perma-rain, and no one would be turning that off anytime soon. The perfect place for these vegetarians then. They didn't deserve to sparkle in my opinion.

Not that I completely hated them for their decision, I just highly disliked them. I'm sure they were nice people, which is also what bothered me. Vampires were not created to be nice.

We found the trail of their scent fairly easily, seeing as they were the only vampires in town. We traced their scent to a small house in the forest, and from there one scent went North and the other South. The third remained in the house, and I listened for the owner's thoughts.

_…Really hope Bella does well today… I think I'll do the laundry…_

This would have to be the older female, Bella's mother. Bella must have just gone to school, since it was still morning.

_Edward?_ Emmett's silent question tore my eyes away from the house and towards him. _What are we going to do? Is the young one here?_

"No," I whispered almost soundlessly, "But I have a plan."

I motioned for all three of them to follow me, and we tore off into the forest so I could deliberate with them.

"So, what's the plan?" Felix's eyes lit up in anticipation, excited to see what I had in mind.

"We wait until the young one is on her way home, and then ask the mother if we can be invited in," My whisper was nearly inaudible. I hoped this plan would work.

"And if she doesn't comply?" Demetri grinned evilly, but I snarled at him in anger.

"We are not here to hurt anyone Demetri!" I was still whispering, but my tone implied otherwise. He understood, and lowered his head instantly. No one dared go against the crown prince's orders…

"Well…?" Emmett left the question hanging. _I wish we were here to hurt people…_

"Emmett!" I let my anger get the best of me, try as I might to ignore their mutinous thoughts. "She _will_ let us in. She knows who we are."

Indeed she did. Alice told me right before we left that she'd had a vision. In it, she saw the older female agreeing to do whatever we wished of her, saying "Anything for the Volturi, anything at all…"

So that would not be a problem. The only thing I was worried about was this Bella creature. I was not even worried about her father, who held no particularly interesting traits.

But Bella was… different sounding. Her power intrigued me, and as much as I hated the idea of marrying for benefits, I could see I would get nothing better than that. I couldn't ask for true happiness, not in this life.

_This is so boring! _Felix's thoughts where vehement as he sat there, glaring down at the wet grass.

"Only a few more hours, friend," I reassured him quietly, even though I was thinking the same.

I wanted to meet Bella and her family, but I would have to wait until she got home. I wondered for the first time in my life what being human would be like: to have to go to school, to eat the disgusting items they called food, to walk at the slow pace they walked. Then I wondered how Bella could handle being stuck with them for six hours a day. I would go mad, and I felt slightly sympathetic towards her. But perhaps it was easier for her to resist, since she fed on animals. I still felt sympathetic towards her; drinking animal blood was just about as bad as eating human food in my opinion.

I knew I was slightly spoiled, that much was true. I'd always gotten what I wanted, and I knew I was being wholly prejudiced now. Maybe they enjoyed the animal blood, what did I know?

_Bella should be home soon… I hope her day went well! _Her mother's thoughts broke through my thoughts and I sighed, looking around at the others as I did so.

"Is it time?" Emmett asked; there was excitement in his eyes.

"Yes," I stood up effortlessly and gestured that the others should do the same. They rose and flanked me obediently, waiting for my signal.

I began to walk, and they took that as their opportunity to do the same. Emmett came to walk beside me, and Felix and Demetri fell into step behind us. I imagined we must look fairly intimidating, even to a vampire, and I laughed inwardly.

Emmett reached the door first, and he knocked politely, but he was thinking otherwise. _Can't see why we can't just knock the door down and be all intimidating…_

"That wouldn't be very courteous or inconspicuous though Emmett," I reminded him softly as the door opened.

_Who could that be? Bella…? _"Hello?" A small woman with short brown hair, pointed chin, full lips and tiny figure greeted us uncertainly. She looked about forty-six years old, but Father had said she was actually about two hundred and fifty. Her eyes were the last thing I noticed about her, and my face must have gave my shock away, because she asked motherly, "Is something wrong?"

"No ma'am, nothing is aloof, I assure you," I smiled at her, though my mind was still mulling over the appearance of her eyes. They were deep yellow, golden butterscotch almost, not at all like the red eyes of normal vampires.

Realization dawned on her as well as she thought. _I wonder what these ones want to do with us… _

"Perhaps you should come in, all of you," She suggested, and beckoned us into the entryway of the small house.

"That's very kind, thank you," I smiled again, politely inclining my head in her direction.

As soon as the door closed behind her she spun around and confronted me, "Why are you here? I suppose you're interested are you? Well we're quite good at doing what we do, and you can just leave us to it! We don't need _things_ like you messing it up for us!"

"Mrs. Swan." I said it civilly enough, but my eyes told another story. "We do not wish to 'mess anything up' for you, and I would truly appreciate it if you did not call the Volturi 'things.'"

"Of course," She backpedaled now, and she looked ashamed of herself, "Anything for the Volturi, anything at all…"

I smiled rather malevolently now, and she cowered away from me. "You have nothing to fear Renee; I'm not quite sure why you appear so stricken. We do not want to harm any of you. Now, let us assume that you have invited us to take a seat in your charming little living room, and that you did not just yell at us so antagonistically."

"S…Sure," She stuttered, embarrassing herself. _He said they wouldn't hurt us…_ Then she led us into the previously mentioned living room and gestured rather nervously towards the couch across from the fireplace.

Emmett and I sat on the couch, Felix and Demetri took spots on the wall, and Renee placed herself in the armchair in the corner farthest from us all. We sat like this for a few minutes, silently, and then the door banged open.

"Mom! I'm home!" A highly musical voice called from the kitchen. Then it was silent, and I could speculate what its owner had discovered: our scent. I listened for her thoughts, but found nothing. I frowned, worried that her power might be blocking me out, but I was sure I could find a way around it.

She growled suddenly, so low I barely heard it, and her mother answered finally enlightened her to our whereabouts, "In here Bella, dear."

Renee's voice was a dead giveaway that something wasn't quite right, so I tried to make amends as Bella walked into the living room.

"Hello," I smiled, but she wasn't looking at me. As soon as I spoke however, her eyes turned onto me, and our gazes met.

She had the same golden eye color as her mother, but her eyes were lighter somehow, more yellow. Her skin was lighter than my own, which surprised me, as I was known as one of the palest at home. She shared the same pointed chin and full lips as her mother, but she was taller and slimmer. Her hair was a beautiful mahogany brown, and it had a sparkling quality to it. My eyes left hers just as hers left mine, and I could tell she was appraising me as well.

She was dressed nicely, modern as far as I could tell, in a light blue tee shirt and stone washed jeans that accentuated her features rather nicely, and I suppose the animal diet had sustained her well, since she did not look as if she was suffering.

I looked back up into her eyes, and she took fleeting look back at me with the most curious expression on her face; I couldn't decide if it was one of derision or approval of my appearance. Perhaps it was disapproval of my being here in her house uninvited, and admiration of my physical appearance. I wasn't quite certain.

_Why is she looking at him like that? _Her mother's thoughts echoed my own, and I responded to them without thinking.

"I was wondering that myself, Renee," I believe I scared Renee by doing that, as her eyes instantly looked up at me uneasily. I listened for Bella's response to this in her thoughts, but nothing came from her.

I turned to address her, unsuccessful in breaching the obvious wall keeping her mind from me. "Bella, right? You don't look very pleased to see me."

"Read my mind there," She replied tersely, and it surprised me that she had discovered my talent so quickly. Then again, I had answered Renee's thoughts, but that could be perceived differently.

So I decided to humor her, even though she was, indeed, correct. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to do so," I smiled up at her politely but I supposed my eyes gave my displeasure away, so I broke eye contact with her.

_That's strange. _"Why is that Edward?" Emmett voiced his thoughts for once, which I knew he was doing out of courtesy for the others around us. Felix and Demetri remained statues against the wall.

"I… I don't know," I admitted, meeting Emmett's gaze, but I clearly saw that he didn't understand. My voice dripped with anguish as I replied to him, though I had no idea. I supposed my subconscious thought it pertinent to understand the mystery that was Bella Swan.

Suddenly, the aforementioned vampire spoke, sounding angry, "Why are you here?" She glanced over at her mother, and I realized she must have thought we had tried to hurt her.

"We were… curious about your way of life," Demetri answered her before I could, but his answer was satisfactory enough. It was the truth, after all. "We were hoping you could show us how you hunt." _That_ I had not been expecting, but I supposed that made sense also, as we would gain more understanding that way, which is what my father wanted.

"No one else has bothered to care before." She was sounding wholly annoyed now, and her eyes told the same story as she looked at me with fierce hatred. Her mother shook her head in aspiration. _I wouldn't get on the wrong side of these ones, Bella…_

Now it was Felix's turn to reveal more about us. "No one else rules over the vampire world," He said this in a rather foreboding tone, and I presumed he was trying to sound impressive. "Edward here is the crown–"

"Felix!" Emmett stopped him before I could, which I was silently thankful for. I did not need her knowing that bit of information.

Rather abruptly and unnaturally, Bella had put an air of detached and polite attentiveness about her, and stared into nothing for a minute. Then she smiled, as if she had discovered something, and her voice became falsely cheery as she said, "Once my father returns from work, I am sure he would be honored to allow you all to accompany us on a small hunt. In the meantime, may I get any of you anything?"

I was taken aback at the last part, but I replied all the same. "We have not hunted in a while," I admitted to her, but I knew this would make her angry.

My assumption turned out to be correct, as she replied, forcibly civil, "You can't hunt here. Not unless you wish to hunt game as we do."

"We will do as you wish, and hunt with you once your father returns. We swear not to harm a human while we are visiting here." Emmett supplied this tactful response, and I glared at him sidelong. _Sorry brother. _He shrugged as he thought this, and I eventually relaxed. After all, I had promised Renee earlier that we would not cause problems for them.

Bella began to question us on meaningless things, waiting for her father to return, no doubt, but soon she questioned, "How did you know about us?"

I went the mysterious foreign vampire route and gave her only, "We have our ways."

I knew this had made her angry, but to my surprise, she smiled. By now I could guess what she was about to do and stopped her. "I wouldn't try it," I murmured, my lips almost unmoving as I spoke. "I saw what you were doing to Felix earlier. I may not be able to read what you're thinking, but I can guess what you're doing."

This seemed to make her utterly furious, and she looked at me with such intense dislike I nearly cringed into the couch. Then she growled, a low, terrifying sound, and crouched, ready to attack.

_Should I? _Demetri asked me silently, and I barely moved my head in response. He would know.

He moved in a blur, and soon I was watching Bella growl and spit in fury as she was pinned against the wall. Her mother stood up and growled as well, but I forced myself to remain civil in hopes to control the situation.

"Miss Swan," I sighed before going any further, "I really do understand what you're feeling right now, and I must agree I would feel the same way. However, my father will not take it too kindly that you have disobeyed our orders and wishes, so if you would like to remain alive, I strongly advise you to comply. We have promised not to hunt humans on your land, and you have agreed to show us how you hunt in turn. Then we shall be on our way, and you will most likely never hear from us again. Demetri, please release her."

Demetri complied, and I relaxed against the couch, but as soon as she was free she ran towards me and screamed in my face.

"You're lying!" She told me before peeling out of the room and up the stairs in a whirlwind of fury.

I strained to reach her thoughts as I sat there, but they remained blocked from me. Her mother was sitting down again, but when her father came through the door, she ran to him.

They spoke in fast whispers, but I heard it all.

"_They're_ here… No I don't think they have harsh objectives… No they won't hurt us, they're just curious… She's in her room." Renee hurriedly explained the situation to her husband, and he ran up the stairs to Bella's room, his thoughts going a mile a minute.

_Why would they bother? We haven't done anything wrong… Bloody savages… I hope Bella's alright…_

The atmosphere in the room was tense between the four of us, every one of the others trying not to think, for they knew I was listening to the Swans. Renee remained in the kitchen, dry sobbing into a hand towel.

I heard the entire exchange between Bella and Charlie, even though Renee's sobbing was much louder than their voices.

"Bella?" Charlie hesitated. _Should I go in? I suppose I should… _""Your mother told me what happened."

"Where is he?' I instantly knew she was speaking of me. "Where did he go?"

It slightly amused me that she chose only to acknowledge my presence in her house, when there were three other unwanted vampires as well. How peculiar…

_I have to lie to her_. Charlie made his decision, "They have left for a time, but they will be back." It was a good thing Bella was too distraught to notice his lie. She readily believed him. "They're just curious Bella. They will leave eventually."

She didn't believe that. He wasn't lying though: he honestly believed that. "You're wrong!" She shrieked at him, her voice echoing throughout the house. "He's a liar Dad! A no good, royal liar! He wants _me_ Dad! He was sent to get _me_!"

_That_ stung me. How had she known that? She must have got it from Felix… I would have to make sure they kept their thoughts more private if they could.

_How can she know that? _Charlie's thoughts were frantic as he replied, "Are you sure?"

He may not have known if she was certain, but I did. We _had_ come for her.

**Yay! Yay for Edward! Next chapter will be Alice's, and then Bella's from then on, maybe with one or two Edward chapters here and there… Not too sure yet! **

**REVIEW! **

**Love from **

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**


	5. Alice

**Alice's POV!**

_**NOTE: This will be a short chapter as it's just a snippet of what's to come for Ed and Bell ;) **_

Life here at Volterra without Edward and Emmett was supremely dull. Not only did the two of them make life a lot more interesting, but with Emmett gone Rosalie had become a constant annoyance, badgering me for predictions practically every five minutes. And Edward was the closest thing I had to a friend here, excluding Jasper.

Jasper was my soulmate, but Edward was the other freak in the family, which bonded us in a strange way.

"Alice?" Carlisle knocked on my chamber door tentatively the morning after the third day of their departure. I rolled my eyes and called for him to enter. He had been just as annoying as Rosalie lately.

"I haven't seen anything new Father," I informed him before his mouth had had the chance to form the words of the question.

"Oh, well, alright then," He stammered, appearing flustered as he smoothed his tunic. "Have you been keeping tabs on Isabella as well?"

"_Bella_ Father, you know that," I smiled, realizing I knew our subject well by now. She and I would get along when she came here… "And yes, I have been watching for anything new from her, as always."

"And?" I let him ask it, even though he'd not needed to.

"Nothing new has come from her… yet," I tacked on the last word in hopes it would raise his spirits, as he looked slightly crestfallen.

"In that case daughter, I bid you good morning," He bowed and retreated through the door by which he had come, leaving me to my thoughts as I gazed out over the city that was being bathed in the morning sun.

_**IMAGINE THREE STARS HERE!**_

A meadow, seven figures standing before my father, a brick building with the word 'Office' emblazoned upon it, an animal running through the forest, a pair of yellow eyes, and then – blackness.

"Alice? My God Alice, are you alright?" A frantic voice was speaking my name, but where was it coming from?

Then I was being held in a pair of stone cold arms, waves of calm now emanating through me: Jasper.

"I love you," I whispered as I leaned against one of his arms, my eyes not yet wanting to open.

"Is she alright Jasper?" Esme's soft voice rang in my head and through the hall where I had collapsed, and my eyes opened slowly. I tried to stand up and my head spun. Jasper held me down anyways, so there was no use in trying.

"I'm fine Mother," I muttered as my eyes began to focus, and I could actually see who I was talking to.

"What happened?" Carlisle demanded as he ran up, Aro and Marcus fast on his heels. I did _not_ want to explain with them listening in.

I groaned my annoyance at their presence, which would seem as if I was hurt to them, but Carlisle seemed to understand my double entendre, as did Jasper, because he hadn't yet released me.

Instead he picked me up and announced, with overly done formality, "Alice and I will be retiring to our chambers for some time, and I assure you I will give a full update on her condition as the day expires."

"Dismissed," Carlisle flourished his hand exuberantly and we whisked away up the spiral staircase to our left.

"Thank you," I smiled up at my husband, but he gave me a stern look as he sat me in a chair.

"Explain," He commanded, taking a seat opposite me and resting his chin in his hand, prepared for anything.

I felt a surge of reassurance enter me, which prompted me to quickly give an explanation for my 'fainting spell.' "I had a vision with a meadow, and cloaked figures, and a brick building, and an animal, and yellow eyes and then… and then it went black."

"So you had _many_ visions all at once, and then you… fainted?" Jasper asked, trying to understand. This had never happened before.

"Yes," I whispered, looking down at my knees. This embarrassed me. I had never fainted after a vision; I was much stronger than that. Or so I had thought. But I'd never had multiple visions at once either.

These seemed like multiple visions to me anyway. They didn't appear to be related at all, but perhaps the meadow and the animal… But then what about the office building, the figures in front of Carlisle, and the pair of yellow eyes?

"We have to tell Carlisle," Jasper reminded me, but I shook my head.

"Not yet. Marcus, Caius and Aro will know doubt try and listen in as well, and I want to be absolutely sure of what I saw before notifying him."

"You're the psychic," Jasper complied, though I could tell my fainting had him worried. It had been a week since the four had left for Forks, and we all wanted some sort of news. But what sort of news was this? This could simply be me going mad.

I leaned forward and took his face in my hands, stroking his cheek as I thought. "I'm not crazy," I eventually concluded.

"I know you're not Alice, of course you're not," He shook his head and my hands fell, but he caught them and held them tight. "You're my wife, and I love you, and I know you'll do the right thing."

Then he leaned towards me further and kissed me, sending more waves of calming reassurance through me as he did so.

Maybe I would make the right decision, but would Edward?

**DUH DUH DUN! Ooooooh **

**Sorry, short chapter I know, but I had to let you see **_**something**_** from Alice's POV, right? After all, a little Alice does everybody good :) **

**And in case you're wondering about why she fainted and had multiple seemingly unrelated visions… TOO BAD! You will find out eventually ;)**

**REVIEW PLEASE!! OR I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHY SHE DID THAT! **

**JK I WOULDN'T NOT, I definitely will be soooon**

**Love from **

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**


	6. The Truth

**Long time no update, sorry! Here you go… **

**BELLA POV:**

"It's going to be sunny today folks, which is a nice change from the rain, so get out there and enjoy it while you can!" The alarm clock switched on at 7:00 AM to tell me to get ready for school. Judging by what the DJ had just said though, I wouldn't be going, so I turned it off and resumed 'watching TV'.

To my parents, the clock was unnecessary, but to me it was essential. I didn't sleep, so I didn't need to be woken up, but I got lost in thought very easily, and therefore lost track of time.

Over the past night I had sat in my room with the TV on – though I had been paying it no mind – and thought, like usual.

But unlike other nights, last night my mind had been invaded by a foreign vampire named Edward Cullen.

He had no business in coming here in the first place, of course, but his father, the 'ruler' of the vampire world, had ordered him to come, to find out about our way of life. The three Volturi with him had ogled at my family's abstinence as if it left a bad taste in their mouths, which was one reason why I highly disliked the whole lot of them. Another reason was because of the way they thought of themselves, as if they were better than us, as if drinking animal blood was the equivalent of eating dirt.

Yet Edward was different, annoyingly civil towards me.

I knew he'd been ordered to bring me back with him, and I constantly wondered why. I'd tried to find the answer to that in his thoughts, but he knew what I could do, as his mind was incessantly busy rephrasing Debussy into cannon.

Other than the blocking off of his mind from my own, he was amazingly polite – perhaps too polite.

He had asked intuitive questions when we had showed the four of them how we hunted, and I found myself wondering what it would be like if _he_ stayed with us. Hunting with him felt right; it was as if we were a team.

We got along well together too, though I could not forget what he was a member of, which was why I had originally detested him. And I couldn't help but laugh at him when he had gotten fur in his mouth accidentally, which had resulted in a peal of laughter from him as well. He had laughed as he spat fur out of his mouth, and I had laughed along with him. My family and the other three looked on in bewilderment.

I couldn't fall for him, not now. It would never work…

"Bella!" My thoughts were breached by my mother's call from downstairs, and I wondered why.

I ran down to the kitchen – an unnecessary room, but it was a human house and removing it would be too conspicuous – only to find _him_ standing there, erasing any of my previous speculations.

"Good morning Bella," he greeted me with that pesky civility again – one less reason for me to hate him – and informed me, "Your mother and I were just discussing the wonders of living with humans. It sounds quite… fascinating." He was smirking, sarcasm dripping off the end of his sentence, and I assumed that Renee had told him how I thought school to be meticulously boring.

"Hmm, yes, fascinating…" I rolled my eyes, and then allowed my gaze to fall onto his appearance. He was as stunning as ever, and his face, bathed in morning sunlight, was sparkling brilliantly. Overall, the effect of his elegant clothing paired with the glistening of his skin was quite dazzling. I couldn't help staring at him longer than I should.

Renee cleared her throat loudly and I looked up at her, startled. "Yes?" I asked rather curtly. If there had been no awkward tension before, there was now.

"Edward has a question for you dear," she nodded at him and he went on from there.

"I was hoping, Miss Swan, that you would join me on a walk through the nearby forest," he smiled at me, his white teeth adding to the sparkle that already surrounded him.

How could I possibly decline that beauty? I would still play semi-hard to get though, "I _suppose_ I could…seeing as how I'm not going to school."

"Excellent!" My mother blurted, flushing slightly when I turned to stare at her.

"Let's just go," I gestured towards the door and ushered Edward forward.

"Your mother is very kind," he remarked once we were through the door, "You're very fortunate to have your birth parents make up the rest of your coven."

"Yes, I suppose I was lucky in that regard," I agreed, though I didn't know how he could call a vampire lucky at all. "So," I began, changing the subject, "Where are we going?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular," He smiled sidelong at me, his red eyes glowing in the sun.

"Well can you tell me why you wanted to walk with me at least?"

"I… I wanted to tell you the truth, Isabella," he hung his head as he walked, letting his bronze hair fall over his eyes, "After last night, I don't think I can keep this a secret any longer."

My interest had been peaked at the word truth, and I could barely contain my excitement. Coming from him, the word truth meant a lot. "You've been sent to get me," I stated simply and shrugged nonchalantly, as if I was accepting the fact.

"Yes," he whispered. Then suddenly he grabbed my hand and ran through the woods, and didn't stop until we had reached a clearing. The clearing held an old, decrepit house which would have been considered highly extravagant and beautiful about a hundred years earlier. It was like I'd gone back in time.

"What is this place?" was all I managed to utter in sheer awe of my surroundings.

"I was bitten in 1352, Isabella, and I can remember nothing from before that time, as I am sure you have experienced as well. My great nephew thirty-five times over, Richard Masen, built this house, but left the area in 1932 due to the Great Depression. My 'father' Carlisle told me of this shortly after he decided to send for you," he beckoned towards the front door, and I hesitantly trod up the steps and into the house.

"So why did he send you to come get me?" I asked again once we were seated on the dusty floor in the middle of what I assumed used to be the living room.

"Because," he began as he matched my gaze with his own and held it. I leaned closer, since he was speaking quieter than I had ever heard him talk before, "They want your power."

It looked as if he'd wanted to say more, but he looked away and I could have sworn he looked slightly embarrassed. I leaned closer still and rested my hand on his own, "There's more, isn't there?" My scent and my eyes worked exceedingly well on human boys for predatory reasons, and I could only hope they would have the same effect on Edward.

They almost worked, as he looked slightly flustered for a second, but his hand quickly withdrew from underneath mine as he crossed his arms. "Yes, there is, unfortunately," he stood up and backed away to the other side of the room, "They want you to… I mean, they want us to… Well, it would seem Carlisle believes it to be prudent if…" He seemed at a loss for words to finish his sentence, but I could understand well enough.

"He wants us to marry," I said softly, and at that moment, I wanted desperately to run into his arms and stay there, to comfort him. He had no choice in the matter, and no freedom whatsoever. His life was being run for him, by a father that was so detached from the world around him that he had no idea what his son _really_ wanted. **(A/N This is a total lie, if you've read Carlisle's POV, you'll know the truth.)**

Edward sank to the floor dejectedly and whispered, "You weren't supposed to know."

"But I do, and its okay, I'm sure there's an alternative," I stood up and walked over to where he was sitting, then sat beside him against the wall.

He laid his head on my shoulder, as if he wanted someone to cry on, but alas, we couldn't cry. Then he lifted his head up suddenly and asked, "Wait a minute, are you saying you don't want to marry me?"

I was stunned. And it showed in my words. "Edward, I… I hardly know you!" I finally blurted out, "We're completely different vampires, it would never, _could_ never work!"

Even as I said it I knew it to be true. I could fall for him if I wished, but I would never leave my family, and he would never leave his.

"It might," he breathed as he took my hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb.

That was too much for me to handle. "I'm sorry Edward, I have to leave now, good day…"

And with that I fled from the house, my thoughts going in every direction as I ran almost blindly back home through the woods.

I did not want to see Renee at the moment, so I flew up the tree by my window and into my room that way. I locked my door, and only then did I truly allow my mind to get the better of me.

Many possible decisions passed through my mind at a time, but there were chiefly five that were more recurring than the others: Edward and I could run, run into the forest and forget about his family and mine; I could convince him to allow my parents to accompany us to Volterra; I could convince him to leave his own family and live with my own; I could go hunting by myself for a while so he couldn't take me back with him; or I could make him a vegetarian and we could run away from society for a while.

I had no idea what to do, and I frequently wished that Edward was a psychic instead of a mind reader.

**WOOO I finally updated! So do you understand why Alice had a fainting spell now? If not, just ask me for clarification and I would be glad to enlighten you. **

**SO BELLA IS STARTING TO LIKE HIM!! Well how could she not, as he's very charming, not to mention attractive…. ******

**So what will they end up doing? Oh you'll see… **

**Oh, and Jacob might be in the next chapter. MIGHT. So don't get your hopes up, as I haven't decided yet. He shouldn't be a major factor, but he will be funny :)**

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**

**PS: Plagiarism is BAD!! (Those of you reading this on fanlib know what I'm talking about…)**


	7. Edward tells The Truth

**Wooo another PART of Convince Me! This one's Edward's POV, but it does back track a bit… I wanted you guys to see Ed's take on everything here :)**

I had to tell her. I owed that much to her at the very least.

I sighed openly as I approached the quaint little house by the forest. A house… most vampires we tracked down were transient. But still, it was lucky we knew her address, since Demetri's talent did nothing because of Bella's…unnatural and unusual aversion to such powers.

I took one deep, unnecessary breath before knocking on the front door, which her mother promptly opened.

"Good morning, Mrs. Swan," I smiled, and she instantly gushed over my presence.

_Oh, he's so polite! I do hope Bella will be nice to him today… They've been getting along so well… _Her thoughts had become flustered by the mere sight of me, and it took her a second before she could invite me in. I waited patiently until she had gotten her thoughts in order, then walked in when asked.

Human propriety would have called for her to ask if I would like anything to eat or drink, but instead she settled for asking me if I wanted to sit down.

I politely declined, saying, "Would be so kind as to call your daughter down from her bedroom though? I'm hoping she will oblige to join me on a walk this fine morning." I had stepped into the sunlight coming in from the kitchen window during my proposal, and it had the desired effect on Renee.

"Of course I can call her down Edward, but you'll have to ask her if she'll come with you yourself." She then proceeded to say, "Bella!" in the general direction of the stairs.

_Bella's probably happier not going to school today anyways, _Renee thought as we waited for Bella, _After all, she did say it was boring and trivial…_ We didn't wait long for the aforementioned, and a look of momentary shock crossed her face when she entered the kitchen and saw me.

"Good morning Bella," I acknowledged her with exactly the right amount of civility the situation called for. Then, remembering what her mother had just thought, I added jokingly, "Your mother and I were just discussing the wonders of living with humans. It sounds quite… fascinating."

_We never discussed that!_ Renee thought in surprise, but she kept quiet, unknowingly helping me with my little joke.

"Hmm, yes, fascinating…" Bella replied as she rolled her eyes in jest of my humor, but there was laughter in them.

Then she allowed herself to look at me, so I smiled back at her, but she wasn't looking at my face quite yet. She was doing the same thorough appraisal of me as yesterday, and I found myself inwardly thrilled by it. I was now especially glad I had decided to bask my face in the sunlight.

I found myself looking her over as well, and like yesterday was not disappointed in her appearance. She should have been sparkling too, but to my dismay, no rays of light reached her beautiful figure. What lovely thoughts I was conjuring in my head, and in the presence of the main subject's mother!

_They're doing it again!_ Renee's strong thought broke my stare, but Bella remained unaffected.

I was about to address the Miss Swan, but Renee took the opportunity away from me. She cleared her throat loudly and Bella unwillingly looked up at the source of the interruption, only to find herself meeting her mother's laughing golden eyes.

"Yes?" She asked with a clipping edge to her voice, making me feel oddly and slightly awkward, most likely due to the nature of my previous thoughts.

"Edward has a question for you dear," Renee replied, wholly unabashed by her daughter's tone. She nodded in my direction, obviously wanting me to address Bella myself.

I was hoping, Miss Swan, that you would join me on a walk through the nearby forest," I smiled full on at her then, and I knew my teeth would sparkle along with my skin.

This time she caught my smile and returned it, replying, "I _suppose_ I could…seeing as how I'm not going to school." I could tell she was happy at the prospect of joining me, though she hid her excitement exceedingly well. I could see it in her eyes.

"Excellent!" Renee exclaimed, flushing slightly when Bella turned to stare – it was almost a glare - at her.

"Let's just go," she motioned towards the door and steered me forward through it.

"Your mother is very kind," I commented once we had gotten through the door and out into the sun – kind was an understatement. "You're very fortunate to have your birth parents make up the rest of your coven."

"Yes, I suppose I was lucky in that regard," she sympathized, though I could tell she hadn't liked my wording. "So," she changed the subject abruptly, "Where are we going?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular," I smiled at her without turning my head, though I did turn my ruby orbs her way as well. I knew they would be glowing, as we were facing almost directly into the sun. To most people that looked intimidating, but when they were meant to be that there was no laughter in them, as there was now. I was attempting to be mysterious.

"Well can you tell me why you wanted to walk with me at least?" She sounded slightly annoyed at my lack of a normal response, so I decided to tell her solely fact.

"I… I wanted to tell you the truth, Isabella," I hung my head low, staring at my feet; I didn't know if telling her was a good thing. "After last night, I don't think I can keep this a secret any longer." I would have to tell her now.

Her eyes peered up at me in interest at the word 'truth,' and I supposed I deserved the sudden look. She clearly still didn't trust me fully.

"You've been sent to get me," she declared simply and shrugged indifferently, as if she had accepted it already.

"Yes," I whispered. I didn't like her acceptance of the fact, since I disliked the fact myself now. I reached for her hand and ran with her through the woods. I hoped none of my 'acquaintances' were around the house… In mere seconds I had gotten to the clearing I wanted. In it there was a decrepit house which was our makeshift 'base' while we were here. It fitted the style of around one hundred and fifty years ago nicely.

"What is this place?" Bella uttered, her voice dripping with admiration of her surroundings.

I decided to explain the history rather than what it served as right now. "I was bitten in 1352, Isabella, and I can remember nothing from before that time, as I am sure you have experienced as well. My great nephew thirty-five times over, Richard Masen, built this house, but left the area in 1932 due to the Great Depression. My 'father' Carlisle told me of this shortly after he decided to send for you," I gestured to the door, and she visibly vacillated before hurrying up the stairs and into the house.

I made sure we were situated in the living room – the only room that hadn't been taken over by us – and lit down in the middle of the dusty old floorboards. "So why did he send you to come get me?" Bella asked, obviously wanting the answer quite badly, as I was sure she was never this persistent in her questioning.

"Because," I started, deciding to tell her half right now. I stared into her butterscotch eyes with my crimson ones, drawing nearer to her, my words barely audible. I knew she would catch them. "They want your power."

I wanted to say the whole truth, but I was too embarrassed to say what I knew I had to in order to get the truth out. She could sense my indecision, and called me on it just as I looked away. She leaned in even closer to me and put her cold hand on my own, willing me to say it all. "There's more, isn't there?" Her eyes smoldered as she coaxed me, and I found her overall appearance nearly drawing me in, but I was not a human, and I was definitely not her prey.

I suppose I looked off kilter for a second, but I was too embarrassed to have to admit what I had to. I crossed my arms deliberately, breaking off the contact between us, and went to stand on the other side of the filthy room. "Yes, there is, unfortunately," I could tell I was going to have trouble getting this out, though I had no idea why. The crown prince of Volterra, afraid of admitting a proposal to a female – albeit a stunning female at that. But still, I had trouble doing it. "They want you to… I mean, they want us to… Well, it would seem Carlisle believes it to be prudent if…" Yes, I most definitely was hoping at this point that she would take the hint, just to save me from this lack of coherency.

I wanted so desperately to hear her thoughts now, to make sure she had understood, but she filled in the blanks soon enough. "He wants us to marry," she whispered sympathetically, and I loved her for taking this seriously.

I slid down the wall and to the floor in one fluid motion, remarking quietly, "You weren't supposed to know." I shouldn't have told her; I knew it had been wrong too, yet I couldn't just not have given her a reason for all of this.

"But I do, and its okay, I'm sure there's an alternative," Bella stood and approached me and made to sit adjacent to me along the wall, closer than before on the other wall.

I took advantage of our intimate proximity and nestled my head on her shoulder, actually relieved that I _had_ told her. I was enjoying our closeness so much that when I had finally reflected on her words, I sat up straight and questioned, "Wait a minute, are you saying you don't want to marry me?"

She was quite visibly shocked by my sudden exclamation, and she had total right to be. "Edward, I… I hardly know you!" she finally managed to word as close to proper as she wanted, "We're completely different vampires, it would never, _could_ never work!"

She honestly believed that; I knew it was most likely true, and that was devastating.

"It might," I whispered, taking her hand again and stroking it with my thumb, trying to salvage our conversation.

That was apparently too much for her, and she looked awkward as she exclaimed, "I'm sorry Edward, I have to leave now, good day…" Then she was gone, flinging herself out the door and back home, sparkling the whole way.

I tried in vain to hear her thoughts as soon as she had fled, but my struggle was of no use. I _knew_ I shouldn't have told her; this was just denial talking, of course.

"Edward?" Emmett's voice rang throughout the house and I knew I had just been beckoned to join him.

I got up slower than usual and followed his scent out towards the river, finding him on a cell phone, talking animatedly. He nodded in acknowledgement as I joined him.

"Yes, I love you too Rosalie, I'll be home soon," Emmett promised his wife, "Give the phone to Father now dear, yes I know, I love you, see you in a while… Carlisle! Finally… Yes, yes he's right here… Yes I'll hand it to him right now, hold on one second…" Then he passed the phone to me, and I supposed Father was expecting some sort of report – or worse, a departure date.

"Hello?" I asked tentatively, and was greeted by my father's voice, highly stressed.

"Edward, how is it coming along?" By it, I knew he meant persuading Bella.

"Fine sir, almost complete actually," I smiled grimly, though I knew he couldn't see me. I was lying through my teeth at the moment; this was far from being complete.

"Then I expect you back no sooner than by the end of the week, and with the female please," he sounded even more stressed now, and I was willing to bet that at least one of Aro, Marcus and Caius was listening.

"As you wish Father, of course," I assured him, not wanting him more stressed than he already was. I was literally stunned by his apprehension as it was; he was usually cool and professional. I supposed those three were impatient for our return.

I bade him goodbye and snapped the phone shut, and then handed it back to Emmett. His eyes told me he knew I had been lying.

I needed more time; I needed to figure out how this could work. Bella was an amazing girl – no, woman – and at this point, I wanted to be with her no matter what the consequences. I wanted to kiss her so badly it pained me just to think about it.

But I was bound by duty to my city, and she was bound by love to her family. I wondered just how much each one of us would sacrifice.

**sigh Finally, another Edward POV! Hope you all enjoyed that, and that hopefully you understand where this is heading… Oh, and about the Jacobness – still undecided there, maybe I'll do a vote in my poll :) Or send me a review with an idea? **

**Thanks for reading!**

**REVIEW!**

**Love,**

**Reese (aka Aleatoire)**

**PS: Someone – I can't remember who – called me Al, and I thought it was the funniest thing ever! It reminded me instantly of Aladdin, but my penname technically shouldn't be shortened – it's a bad French translation of the word random, but it sounds cool :)**


	8. Bella's History

He knew my tricks and how to avoid them; his own tricks did nothing to me. In a way that made us good for one another, compatible if you will.

But as the next few days unfolded, I was becoming hesitant in believing his feelings towards me, and decided it was time for some reassurance.

"Edward," I spoke calmly as I stood in my room on Saturday night, "We need to talk."

"About what, dear Bella?" He was there in an instant, coming in through my window just as I had suspected he would.

"Us," I replied simply, flopping – if a vampire can even do so – down onto my floor, and motioned for him to join me.

He obliged, and sat across from me with his head resting against the wall. "Go on," he pressed after a moment of sitting in silence.

Little did he know, but he had interrupted my thoughts. I settled on asking him, "Do you like me?" My voice was barely a whisper, and I knew what he would say back.

"Of course I do Isabella, you know that," he leaned forward, reaching for my hand, and I readily put it in his own.

Then he did something unexpected. He pulled me right up beside him swiftly and leaned in, his breath tickling my nose as he spoke in his beautiful melodic tone, "Now the question is, do you like me?"

"That's the problem," I muttered and tried to look away, but his crimson gaze held my eyes locked where they were.

"Liking me is a problem?" He looked genuinely confused, so I decided to clarify.

"Well Edward, I _know_ I like you, but I'm not sure if you like me because of who I am, or because of why your father sent you here," I sighed and snuggled into his shoulder, my head just below his chin.

He reached up to place his free hand on my hair and stroked it gently as he whispered, "You worry that I like you because I am obliged to? My dearest Bella that is so far from the truth it is a wonder it even crossed your mind… Then again, perhaps it is exactly what you should think. I am a monster, Miss Swan, and before I met you I was a terribly obedient and horrendous creature. But now, seeing the freedom you have, the life you are able to live… My world cannot possibly compare. If there were any way at all to leave my life behind and begin a new one here, and with you, I most certainly would do it."

"But your father…" I shuddered to think what that man would do to Edward if he left Volterra for good, only to run away with the slander of the vampire world.

"I'm going to be honest with you Bella – not that I wasn't before, but there is something I must tell you now. By all laws, I really shouldn't be, but I will anyways." Edward's hand was grasping my own very hard now, and he seemed excited. I leaned back from his chest to look at him, and his eyes bore into mine as her spoke. "You see, I'm the crown prince of Volterra, and once Carlisle's term is up in 500 years, I am to be ruler."

"Yes, I knew that…" I began, but he interrupted.

"That may be, but were you aware that I _must_ be married in order for me to rule?" My eyes widened involuntarily. This was sounding more and more like Ye Olde England, not Vampire City. "It's true!" Edward seemed to sense my incredulity, "And since I am Carlisle's first son, my position cannot be refuted. Don't you see Bella? This will work; oh this will be glorious…"

He looked giddy with happiness, but I was failing to see his point. I allowed him to collect himself before I asked, "Umm… _How_ exactly will this work to our advantage? You're his 'first son,' no one else can take the throne but you, but you have to be married to get it? Is that right?"

He nodded vigorously, and drew my body closer to his as if he was somehow hoping to pass on some sort of knowledge to me through our contact.

"Bella!" He finally exclaimed, now holding me by the shoulders, "These laws Volterra has cannot be altered, and since I _must_ marry and I _must_ rule next…" He shook me slightly, and I finally caught on to what he was saying.

"…You can negotiate and set down conditions to be met before you – we – marry," I smiled in understanding, and was about to kiss him, but I frowned and questioned, "You're absolutely positive no laws can be changed? Because your father could suddenly pull out the King card and decide to have you executed or something…"

He shook his head slowly. "Bella, I have studied Volterrean law since the very beginning of my immortality, and there is no doubt in my mind that I am correct when I say it cannot be altered," he looked at me with stern eyes as he spoke, but they soon softened back into molten ruby once more after he had proved his point.

He was holding me so tightly and looking at me with such intensity now that I was unable to resist. I threw my arms around his neck and drew him right in until our lips met.

I had never felt this way about another vampire before, and I was willing to bet he hadn't either. His hands knotted in my hair and pulled me even tighter to him, deepening the kiss. Our venom intermingled, and I could literally taste his scent on my tongue. He had an utterly desirable one, like no other I had ever smelled – or tasted, for that matter.

Eventually, we broke off the kiss many minutes later, and we were both out of breath.

"I thought…since we didn't even need to breathe…" I remarked quietly, large gulps of breath interrupting my comment.

"I know…it's strange…" Edward's breathing was just the same, and he laughed weakly, as much as his lungs would allow.

"So…" he began once I had snuggled back into his cold chest, "Tell me about yourself, Isabella Swan. Have you ever been in love before?"

"No," I whispered softly into the hollow of his neck, and felt him shiver at the caress of my breath on his skin.

"So then what have you been doing for the past two hundred or so years?"

I sat back against the wall beside him then, curious. "How do you know how old I am? Wait, don't answer that. I'm actually two hundred and twenty-one… And you want to know what I've been doing _all_ those years?" I looked at him sidelong for his reaction, but he just smiled and nodded, looking genuinely interested.

"I've got all night," he reminded me softly.

"Fine…" I laughed and poked him in the ribs. It was good that both of our bodies were comparable to granite, or I would have broken my finger. "I'll start from the beginning.

"I was born as a human in 1787, and when I was eighteen – 1805 – I was bitten. As humans, my family and I lived in London around the very beginning of the Industrial Revolution. My father was part of the British Royal Guard and was much upheld in his position, so we were fairly well off, as he was essentially considered to be a soldier. We weren't exceedingly rich, but were substantial in our position. We were not affected by the masses of people coming into London from their lord's lands, so we were not subject to the poverty that ravaged them.

"One night, Dad was outside the palace walls guarding right after the Change. **(A/N: The Change Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace) **A transient vampire was looking to hunt inside the walls, and in his thirst, bit my father first. He managed to run through the guard's gate and down a secret tunnel before the burning became too intense to bear. He was gone for three days, and Mom and I had no idea where he was. Of course, you can guess what he was doing – completing the change from human to vampire. When he came home, we knew something was off, and when he bit me and Mom, I had no notion of what was happening. When I was changed, I felt the thirst burning in the back of my throat, intensified by the venom, and I still to this day cannot fathom how I am still alive. By all laws of nature, Dad should have killed me and Mom in his newborn thirst, but here I am: one of the walking damned. He told me it was 'love' that allowed him to change us so well; he said he would rather die than live without us.

"Shortly after my 'birth,' I discovered I had a talent. You already know what it can do _now_, but for the sake of this story I must explain what it was like at the beginning. At the very beginning, it was nothing. I could only get people who were lying to speak the truth. I've always been able to do it undetected, but like you noticed there are certain physical signs I give off whenever I am doing it. So it's not completely infallible, but usually people are a lot less perceptive than _you_."

"Bella," he reminded me softly, "What can you do with it now? I know you think I know, but I would like it explained. And why doesn't my power seem to affect you?"

"_Now_ I can force someone to change their minds or think of something completely different, even if they don't want to. But as to why your power has no effect on me whatsoever, I cannot hazard a guess. Perhaps everyone with a talent is immune…"

He shook his head slowly as I spoke. "No?" I asked, "Well then I guess I'm just an abnormality among abnormal beings."

"Yes you are, very much so," he replied, and I couldn't help but think that my being different didn't just pertain to my immunity to his power. "But continue Bella, please. When did you begin hunting animals?"

"Oh, about twelve years after being bitten. Mom and I were starting to feel the guilt, and Dad was getting frustrated with having to find criminals for us to feed off all of the time. I was certain there had to be an alternative, and finally my ever resourceful mother thought of something.

"'Did not we eat animals in our human life?" she had asked us, "Wouldn't it be almost the same if we were to drink _their_ blood? It would be easier as well, I'm sure of it.'

"And with that, we migrated to the United States of America, a new country which was sure to be abundant with fresh game. No one would notice if we picked off a few deer or the like. We lived on the outskirts of Toronto for a while, being careful not to impede on the happenings of the public. We stayed out of their way, and they ours. As the years went on, we became more and more accustomed to satiating our thirst with animal blood, and eventually we decided to try our hand at living among humans. Before we did, we went to Alaska, and met a coven a lot like our own, except larger. I believe they were five strong when we left them."

"There are others like you?" Edward looked at me in disbelief, but I just nodded.

"Oh yes, and they've been doing it for far longer than we have. As I was saying, we lived with them, and they were actually the ones who told us about your city. Ever since the female named Tanya told me about the 'empath' and the 'psychic' and the 'pain-bringer' and the 'mind-reader,' I wanted to meet them all desperately."

"And here I am, the 'mind-reader' in the flesh," he smiled and began stroking my hand with his stone cold thumb.

"After we lived with Tanya and her coven for a while, I decided I wanted to go to college. When I was human I had been unusually intelligent for a young lady of eighteen, so I assumed something like college would be simple for me.

"I went to Dartmouth for four years, and my family lived in Hanover during that time. As I completed my bachelor's degree in English I lived among thousands of adolescent humans, resisting the temptation of them all. My parents were overjoyed, so we moved back to Alaska with the intention of living among the humans there, but we lived seventy more years with Tanya and her coven before we realized Alaska would be far too sunny a place to live among people. So my mother, always thoughtful and full of ideas, did some research, and discovered here. Forks gets about one hundred and twenty-one inches of rain a year, did you know that? Well anyways, it's the perfect place for some vampires charading as humans, so we're living here now, and I am going to graduate from high school in three years."

"That was…interesting," Edward struggled for a word to sum up what he felt for my story. "No, that was…amazing. I cannot even begin to understand how three vampires can live among humans without once giving in. I'm having a hard enough time not hunting as I usually do right _now_, and I know I can go home at anytime I wish – actually, no I can't, now that I think of it."

"Why can't you?" I asked, truly interested, but he silenced my curiosity with another subject.

"I'll tell you later. Right now I would like to tell you _my_ history, since you have been so gracious as to give me yours." He was smiling now, and I couldn't help but forfeit to his request. I knew we would be sitting here the rest of the night, as his story spanned across nearly seven centuries.

"Hurry up old man; this is going to take forever."

"We'll have time enough, don't you worry your pretty little head about it Isabella," he laughed, and I had to join in.


	9. Edward's History

**Sorry for the loooong wait! I need more reviews to motivate me ;) So REVIEW!**

**RECAP: "We'll have time enough, don't you worry your pretty little head about it Isabella," he laughed, and I had to join in. **

**Edward's POV:**

"No," Bella corrected me, "We've got _forever_."

"Would you truly sit here forever just to listen to my life story?" She was joking, I knew, but I kept my incredulity in my voice just the same.

"Obviously not," she elbowed me in the arm and prodded, "Now get going, I want to hear this!"

I sighed and began, deciding to skim past my childhood – it was irrelevant. "My human life began in 1335, in a small village near modern day London. As I grew to the age I look now – 17 – I watched whole families perish around me from the Black Plague. My own parents, the knight and lady of the village, became infected before we could flee to the country, and I did as well. Most our servants fell ill also, but Carlisle, the village doctor, was strangely immune. After I learned what he was, it made complete sense, but why he would take up such a position was beyond me.

"He couldn't save my parents, since they were too far along in the disease. But I, I could be saved, and Carlisle has told me that my mother's dying breath was spent wishing for me to live. He changed me that night, and the pain for three days was literally…"

"Hell on Earth?" she giggled, then shuddered, and I knew she understood. Of course she would.

"Yes, very much so," I continued, "But once it was over, I felt stronger and more powerful than I'd ever been in my sickly human life. I fast learned of my talent, and the first thing I ever saw or heard with it was an image of Esme, now my mother. I asked Carlisle if she was his wife, since he was picturing rather…lovingly of her, shall we say. He'd looked momentarily taken aback and stunned, so I'd decided to elaborate.

"'I… I can read minds,' I had smiled, and then laughed, 'yours, at least. When I was human I had a knack for reading people. . . . So I assume traits like that translate this translate into this life then?'

"'They can,' he had answered simply, and shrugged. Ever since then he has blocked his mind from me, unless there's something he wants me to hear from him. I have no idea why, though I suppose he has a few secrets of his own…

"I will admit to overusing my talent in my early years. When we found Rosalie, ravaged and beaten, I sought the minds of the ones who had done it after we changed her, and received consequences for it. When I found and confronted them they greeted me with such graphic images of her that I was repulsed – imagine, a monster such as I, repulsed! – and had to run away.

"No having the talent I possessed, they couldn't stop Rosalie. She was to have been married to one of them, the worst one in my opinion, so she put on her wedding dress and marched down to his manor house. The Black Plague was a much better way to die than what Rosalie did to him and his friends…"

Bella shuddered against me, and I pulled her closer, feeling myself shake along with her.

"Anyways," I quickly ended the bout of silence and fear, "Next I knew, I had a sister. We returned to Volterra - well, Carlisle was returning, Rose and I just coming – and there I met Esme for the first time, and the other women, and the men too."

"But no woman was right for you there?" Bella whispered into my chest, and I stifled a groan before I explained.

"No woman there could ever hold a candle to you, dearest Bella. It's taken my whole entire life, but I do believe I have finally found the right woman for me." I heard her sigh contentedly, though the sound was muffled by my rock hard body – no, not muffled, it vibrated right through me. It was an oddly wonderful feeling.

"What happened after you got to Volterra, Edward?" Her soft reminder brought me back to the story at hand. I grinned sheepishly, though she couldn't see. Her eyes were closed; she was completely at ease.

"Well, Carlisle started avoiding me as well as hiding his thoughts, and Aro – the ruler at the time – began teaching me the laws and rules of the city. I hunted ruthlessly, not even considering humans to be things with intelligence or emotions anymore.

"About three years after being introduced to this new life, Rosalie brought us Emmett. He was covered in blood, and I wanted so badly to finish off what the bear had started, as did many others feel that way, but Rosalie threatened to kill if anyone got anywhere near him. She nearly snapped off Jane's arm, as I recall. Rose went to Carlisle and begged for him to be spared, to be made one of us.

"He obliged, and Emmett Cullen became my brother. He was instantly entranced with Rosalie's being, and she his, which I suppose is why she saved him in the first place. Love can be very powerful, and can make people go to extremes…"

I chuckled and she giggled. We were all too aware of that aspect of love…

I cleared my throat and continued, "After Emmett came, some of us were up in arms about the decision to keep him alive. He took his place in our society soon enough however, abolishing the doubt and anger. You can understand how he did that, I'm sure."

A nod of comprehension and a shiver told me she got it well enough. "Yes, so after Emmett, there came Jasper and Alice, in the early fifteenth century. Alice knew us all by name, and Jasper was attached to the tiny psychic being like a lovesick puppy. So I had gained a new brother and sister – actually, that's how Alice had greeted me.

"'Hello, brother,' she had said to me as she ran up to the dais where Carlisle and our family sat, towing Jasper along with her. 'I think I'll like it here.'"

"So you'd gained a crazy psychic sister and… Jasper," she began, but I interrupted her.

"Jasper is the 'empath,' as you so called him. He can manipulate the emotions of those around him, and he can feel them as well."

"Okay, so you gained a crazy psychic sister and a crazy empath brother, but no wife…" she trailed off there, sympathy for my love life dripping in her tone.

I picked up again, poking her as I did so. "No, no wife. I had many admirers though… I was just never interested. Anyways, Carlisle began his rule in 1508, and thus will end it in 2508."

"So what have you been doing from 1508 until now?" Her questions seemed incessant, as if she really _did_ intend on listening to me forever.

"It's very boring compared to what you do here," I mumbled, but I appeased her. "Basically, I went on missions to help keep the peace in the vampire world, to keep our existence secret. I learned Italian and conversed with human rulers about trade and world issues – many of them valued our opinions very highly. I learned to play the piano, and went to exquisite vampire balls and parties."

"Wait a second," Bella stopped me, "If you went to parties and socialized, how could you not find a wife? Or a lover at least…"

"Love, what you have to understand is that Volterra's ladies aren't exactly…sensible. They're more pretentious and obnoxious and controlling and…bitchy than any other ladies I've ever met. Something about having everything they want has their noses constantly up in the air. Never have I desired to get any better acquainted with any of them, excepting Alice and Esme. Even Rosalie can be very haughty… I don't know how Emmett can stand it."

"Oh," Bella replied, and she pulled away from me to look at my face. Her mouth remained in the perfect O it had formed to get her words out, and she looked slightly startled, as if she'd thought Volterrean ladies were the most genteel beings there was. I laughed and she joined in, though I could tell she didn't understand why I was.

"Bella!" Renee's voice echoed through the halls of the little house and all the way up to Bella's room, though why she would shout was beyond me. "We're going hunting!"

"Okay Mom," she spoke clearly, as if in defiance of her mother's volume. "Would you like to come, Edward?" She turned to me, her face hopeful. I wished I could…

"Sorry, Bella dear, but Emmett is expecting me back."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" She stared up into my eyes, hers intense and wanting.

I leaned down to kiss her, hoping this wasn't the last time I ever would. "Perhaps," I whispered between kisses, hoping she wouldn't notice my lie. She had to go to school tomorrow, so it could be perceived that way.

"Goodbye Edward," she whispered back, and for one stinging second I thought she had guessed what I was about to do. "Maybe I will see you tomorrow…"

"Have a good hunt," I smiled and drew away from her. Then I grabbed her up in my arms and held her as tight as I could, breathing her scent in so I would be able to remember it.

I had to go. I jumped out the open window, took one fleeting look back at her happy, unsuspecting face, then forced myself to jump down to the ground and run away before I could go to her again.

"Hello Edward, where have you been?" Emmett chastised me softly as I approached the bank of the river behind the old house. He had his back to me, and I was willing to bet his expression wasn't pretty. _It's the end of the week…_

"Yeah Em, thanks for reminding me, I think I'm pretty aware." I didn't bother to stay civil with my brother.

"Well, have you got her?"

"Do _you_ see her?" He turned around then, sweeping the area with his eyes quickly.

"Why not, Edward?" Felix approached me on my left, his face a calm mask.

_Because I love her,_ I thought, but I said otherwise. "Because her power is too much for me, and I can't convince her better than she can convince me to leave her alone. I doubt any of you would have better luck."

"Alright Edward, really, this is silly. She's a _vegetarian_, and she's only two hundred years old. But if you want to go explain yourself to Carlisle, go ahead. I'm sure he'd be overjoyed with your lack of success." Demetri smirked devilishly as he came into view behind Felix.

"Then we're leaving tonight." I refused to get angry at Demetri's abhorrent comment, since nothing would be able to stop me from getting all four of us away from here. I didn't want to hurt Bella any longer.

"Fine with me," Emmett shrugged, and I wondered why he had so little aversion to my decision. _Perhaps Carlisle will make me crown prince…_

"I'm sure if that's what you want, he could give it to you," I responded to his silent wish coolly, keeping my head, though I wanted to slaughter them all.

"Then let's go," Felix nodded his agreement. "We'll blame it on Ed, alright?"

"Fine with me," I replied through gritted teeth. I could take the heat from my father, as long as I knew Bella was safe from my dreadful life back in Italy. Forks with Bella was heaven, but Italy with Bella would be hell. For both of us instead of one, and better me then her, I'd decided.

So we left, leaving no trace of our short presence in this tiny little town housing a coven of vampires. Getting back to Volterra had taken three days, as I'd expected it would take on the way to Forks. We hunted along the way, though now it felt _not_ right to me, not after seeing Bella's way of life. Emmett and the others noticed my new outlook on things, though they chose to ignore it. At least I wasn't refusing human blood.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as we passed through Volterra's gates, Emmett running off to his Rosalie, Felix and Demetri to who-knows-where. I was to face my father alone.

"Good evening, Edward," he greeted me cordially, and I was thankful I had come to see him during the night, rather than during court or feeding time. He was also alone, which I thanked his God for, for once. "Have you brought us back a future Queen?"

"Well Father," I began, praying this wouldn't upset him _too_ much, "That may have been…a problem."

**WOOOO OMG Exciting yet? He returned to Volterra!! Oh noes! What will Bella do? Next chappie, her POV! Will he marry one of the Volterrean ladies he hates so much?? AAAAH I can't even deal, and it's my own story! **

**Love from overprotective Edward, **

**Reese (AKA Aleatoire) **


	10. Phone Call from Italy

**Bella's POV!! How does she feel about Edward leaving?? Find out…**

**REVIEW!!**

**PS: I downloaded all the Twilight playlists… wow they're pretty much amazing! **

He was gone. Why? I thought he had wanted to stay away from that life as long as possible. . . . I thought he'd loved me, though I guess he didn't love me as much as I'd previously surmised.

Though the night before he'd seemed perfectly fine and affectionate – I supposed he was just a very talented actor.

"Bella?" This time it was my father, which I silently thanked God for. My mother had become vehemently abhorrent towards Edward's character overnight. I looked up at my door from my position in the corner by the window, wary of what he was going to say.

He opened the door and scanned the room quickly for my presence, finding my limp form in the aforementioned corner. "Oh Bells," he sighed, sweeping towards me and picking me up off my feet easily, "You look like Death itself."

I chuckled darkly as he set me on my feet and replied dejectedly, still clinging to him for support. "I'm sure Death has had better days. After all, it feels nothing, and I feel _everything_.

"I suppose that would make the comparison impossible then, dear," Charlie smiled down at me, but I couldn't meet his eyes. Mine held too much grief. "How are you doing up here, sweetheart?"

"Oh, you know, managing."

"Sitting in a corner for twenty-four hours straight does not constitute 'managing,'" he pointed out, and I scowled. That was how I had chosen to mourn for my heart, and I shouldn't have let him interrupt my silent lamentation.

"He's not coming back," I whispered, "He never loved me. What a fool I was to think he did! I deserve to stay up here forever."

"It's his fault he's gone, not yours Bella, remember that." At least Charlie was more consoling than Renee, but this wasn't helping me all the same. If I had been in normal spirits, I would have thought it odd that he was so oddly emotionally sympathetic. But I was definitely not in normal spirits.

"His fault?" I repeated, making it sound incredulous. Even after his desertion, I found myself willing to blame it all on me. He hated _me. _He didn't love _me_. It was all because of me.

"Bells, who wouldn't love you?" My father's voice was soft as he stroked my pale, hard cheek. "You're beautiful, smart, talented –"

"Yeah Dad, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm also a vampire. Human boys have a natural aversion to me, however much they might hate that fact. They ogle me at a distance. And other vampires have an aversion to me because I'm a _vegetarian_. They find it repulsive." I laughed; even after all this time I found it so confusing as to why they found our way of life repulsive, when theirs was so much worse. I'd thought Edward didn't think that way. As usual, it turned out I had been wrong. He didn't even say goodbye…

I heard the ring of our phone suddenly, but it sounded a long way off, even to me. I was really out of it. "Bella," I barely heard my mother's voice as she spoke my name. I didn't look up from the ground and Charlie didn't shift from his position beside me either. "Bella, phone call for you!" she called louder this time, and I did look up. Charlie took his hand off my cheek and reached towards the phone on my desk, answering it in one swift motion.

"Hello? Yes, she's right here. . . . No, she's not doing so well. . . . Yes, you can probably understand that perfectly. . . . He'll be the same? How do you know that? Fine, I will hand it to her. . . ." My father's last words were full of scorn, making me think that whoever was on the phone was not going to make me feel any better.

"Hello?"

"Hello Bella, how are you?" A high-pitched, incredibly musical voice asked me on the other end.

"Who are you?" I chose not to answer her question.

"Oh, right, I forgot you don't know who I am. I'm Edward's sister, Alice. You probably know me as the psychic from Italy."

The psychic? What could she possibly have to tell me? That I was going to be depressed for the rest of my life? Thanks, I already knew that. . . . "Yeah, so, what do you want?"

"I've been watching out for your future, Bella, and Edward's too, and they both came to an alarmingly depressing turn sometime last night. Of course, yours has worsened considerably now that you're aware of his absen-ce. . . ."

"What do you mean?" I cut off her pondering last words in hopes to gain some understanding; so far, I didn't get it.

"Well, I can tell the future based on decisions people make. Once Edward had decided to leave and you decided to sit in a corner for all eternity your futures got pretty bad."

"Edward's future got bad? Why? I thought he was happier going back to that…vampire hellhole!" My irritancy showed through strong now, and I didn't care.

"Careful Bella, I live in that 'hellhole,' I wouldn't make too much fun of it. . . . And yes, Edward's future has gotten bad, he loves you, don't you know that? In fact, he's so depressed and dejected because he left you that my husband is confined to his chamber, and Edward isn't even home yet!"

"Let me guess," I began, being cautious now, "Your husband's name is Jasper." I sighed and my father stared at me, his eyes afraid. I half-smiled and turned away from him, sinking down to my floor before I fell down.

"Yes!" She sounded genuinely happy that I was catching on. "You understand now, don't you? Edward _loves_ you so intensely, and I would never believe him capable of such love, but he is! He also wholly envies your life, whereas before he thought your family's choices appalling. The change in his decisions and mind and reasoning is so drastic I fear that when he comes home he won't be the Edward that left home more than a week ago. He needs you, Isabella, and _you_ need him just as much." This was the strangest thing I had ever been witness to; a strange vampire from Italy, giving me reassurance of her brother's love for me.

"So what do I do then, if he still loves me and needs me? I can't just bring him back."

"When he comes back, I will try to get to him before he gets to our father, and send him back to you. He'll end up killing Jasper with the despair if he doesn't, and he needs to be married in order for –"

"In order for him to rule next, I know, I know." My voice was growing weary, but I refused to sound depressed again. He still loved me!

"Keep faith in his love Bella, just remember, he's tied to this city by moral bounds and obligation, but he's bound to you by ties stronger than the pull of gravity. I can sense it in his decisions, why he makes them, what he does. Even though I don't completely approve of your lifestyle, I love my brother, and he loves you, so I'm doing what's best – for him, you and my husband." She sounded excited at the prospect of rejoining Edward and I, and I had to disregard her comment on my lifestyle for now. _She could even end up being my friend. . . ._ I thought to myself as I sat there, not even realizing she was waiting for me to say something.

"Bella?"

"Oh, yes, thank you very much Alice, I hope you succeed in getting to Edward before Carlisle when he returns. And thank you for telling me this, I needed to know. My father was about to drag me out of the corner for my own health." I laughed lightly, but the speech that preceded it had sounded oddly formal – I was speaking to royalty, I reminded myself.

"You're so welcome, I hope you get to move here and become my sister! We'd get along so well. . . ." She sounded oddly confident in that fact, and it sort of scared me that she knew so much about my future when I didn't. "Goodbye Bella!" she exclaimed, and it almost sounded as if she were smiling.

"Bye, Alice," I replied, then hit the End button on the phone and threw it towards my desk lightly. Charlie caught it before it landed – it probably would have broken upon impact. When I looked up to see his face, it was full of confusion, anger and fear.

"What," he began; his voice was strained and hardly musical as usual, "was _that_ about?"

**OMG Alice called! Note: This is only a night after Edward left, and it takes him three days to get home… Just to clarify the timeline!**

**So obviously, Alice didn't get to Edward first, which is strange. Why was that? You'll find out… How did you like? REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Love so much, and I hope we all love Breaking Dawn! 14 DAYS!!**

**Reese (AKA Aleatoire)**


	11. Here and Gone

**Alice POV:**

The timing was horrifying, naturally. I'd been expecting it ever since I'd told Bella that I would intercept him.

So when Jasper ran up to me I smiled and said – before he could even speak – "Let's go."

Having been so attuned to Edward, Jasper was feeling his pain and despair as if it were his own, regardless of the distance between them.

"Edward will get to Carlisle in fifty-four seconds," I informed my love as we stole out a back door of the castle, "though you can probably already feel him more intensely."

It was true; Jasper was literally an emotional wreck at the moment. His eyes were feverish with anguish and he shook from head to toe. The only chance I had at rectifying the situation was to get Jasper away from our approaching brother, and attempt to calm my darling husband.

So I couldn't intercede with Edward's decision to seek out Carlisle.

"Alice!" Jasper gasped as we scaled the wall and continued running, "Alice, darling, send him a message, please! Aargghhh…"

With that Jasper fell to the ground, writhing in pain and agony. "Trying to run away? And what would be the pretense for _that_?" A child's tinkling laugh interrupted Jasper's cries, and its owner jumped down from the outer stone wall lightly, landing on her feet with no sound at all. She still held her focus on my darling, my one and only…

"Jane," I growled, somehow managing not to attack her as I constricted myself only to crouch in an attack position, and move forward.

"Surprised to see me?" she giggled, her face shining with pure delight as she continued to watch Jasper scream. "That is so unlike you, Alice." Only then did she turn her blood red eyes on me; Jasper lay on the ground still, gasping and shaking in the aftershock of her attack.

"I was preoccupied," I replied through gritted teeth. Jane and her sadistic nature had always inclined me to detest her. Suddenly, I held up a hand, as I was beginning to see flickers of the future. I concentrated, and was horrorstruck by what I saw.

_"He must be punished, Carlisle," Aro stood beside Father, advising him. Edward was kneeling at the foot of Carlisle's throne in front of a large audience…_

_"Then let it be known that I hereby disown my son, Crown Prince Edward Cullen, and bestow his title and duties on my worthy son, Prince Emmett Cullen."_

I couldn't allow Jane to take us back; then I would be forced to tell the truth, and this vision would become reality. One touch by Aro, and my brother's secret would no longer be so… He had directly lied to the King, and he had also failed to do what was asked of him. He was lucky Carlisle wasn't planning on destroying him…

"It seems there is no point in disguising it now," I sighed openly and relaxed my position. Jasper staggered to his feet behind me and came to rest a hand on my shoulder. "Edward has failed to bring us the girl, and Jasper and I were on our way to get her for him, by force if necessary."

Jane turned her head sharply towards me – she had been perusing the wall, looking for backup, no doubt – and sneered, "He failed? Well that is most…unsettling." Her expression told me she believed the exact opposite, and I glared. "Well, you'd best be on your way, I'm sure Aro won't mind if I allow you leave. Now if you'll excuse me, it seems your brother requires punishment…" She grinned and loped toward the wall, scaling it easily.

"Ugh," Jasper remarked behind me, and I whipped around to see his face. "I really hate her' her sadistic tendencies leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. And to _feel_ her delight at my torture? Disgusting."

"I know, I hate her too… Are you alright?" I asked fervently. His voice sounded a little weak. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see…"

"Shh," he leaned down and pressed a cool finger to my lips, "It's alright, you did wonderfully. Now let's go, I think I need only be a few miles away from him to be able to control myself; he's attempting to banish his true emotions now."

"Let's go," I said for the second time that night, and tugged on his hand until he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

(**A/N: I never change POVs during a chapter… but I had to for this one!)**

**Edward POV: **

"…and why was it a problem, dear son?" Carlisle addressed me from his throne while I stood before him. His expression was slightly confused, not yet angry. As always, his thoughts were occupied with anything but useful information: today he was pondering the pros and cons of the Internet.

I sighed and hoped Aro would no meddle in this conversation; his thoughts were calm at the moment, but that could change. "She couldn't be convinced, Father; she wished to live no such life as we do." _Neither do I_, I tacked on silently, keeping my features composed into a calm mask.

"I see…" he let the sentence trail off, and this time I could hear the musings in his head. _No one need know of this failure…if I'm careful. Of course Alice is probably already aware; why did not she tell me then?_

Oh dear, I'd forgotten about Alice. Of course she would know of my true reason… With a jolt, I realized I should never have come back here. Aro need only touch me to know of my love for Bella, and soon after either Chelsea would attempt to destroy the bond or I would be destroyed. And the pain I would be causing Jasper right now! I tried to pick up his thoughts, and when I did they were farther away than expected.

_Finally,_ he thought with relief, and I knew he had gotten himself under control again. So I _had_ caused him hardship…

"Hello Jane," Carlisle greeted the tiny vampire as she glided into the room. _Oh no_, he thought, and I believed much the same. She must have known something was awry, but how?

_EDWARD, I KNOW YOU STILL LOVE HER!! _Alice's thoughts screamed at me and I took a step back when I heard them course through my head. _CARLISLE IS PLANNING TO DISOWN YOU ONCE HE LEARNS THE TRUTH; AFTER THAT YOU'RE UP FOR GRABS TO BE DESTROYED!! Jane has dibs…_

This was going to be worse than I thought. "Father, might I ask to be permitted to hunt before we proceed with this discussion?"

"Of course, of course," Carlisle replied hastily, allowing me leave before Aro could intrude on his decisions and this conversation.

Instead of hunting – I had done so recently and had neither the need nor desire to do so now – I ran to join Alice and Jasper, hoping the latter would be able to keep his composure.

"Hello Edward," Alice greeted me jovially as I approached their party. I promptly received a blast of calm and happiness from Jasper, and assumed that he had gotten a handle on himself – and was now trying to maintain it.

We didn't stop running, for which I was glad, and I strode along beside Alice as I commented dryly, "You nearly broke my transistor, thanks for that. I would never fathom that such a tiny being could be so hugely loud."

"Just letting you know," she smiled and I had to laugh. Alice knew everything about me already; I was a fool for having forgotten about her extensive knowledge before conversing with Carlisle.

"So where are you two headed?"

"Well, I told Jane we were headed off to Forks, to get your girl," Alice laughed along with me, but I gave her a stern look.

"You told _Jane_?" Jasper growled at her mention and I snarled in contempt. "Or were you not planning on actually going there?"

"We _were_ trying to get away from you, but here you are, so I suppose we can't do that anymore. Unless you want us to ditch you…?"

"Very funny, Alice. You know my future better than I do, so where should I be headed right now?"

"Forks," my siblings agreed in unison, then chuckled and exchanged sidelong glances. Those looks made me think of Bella…

_She loves you too, you know. I called her. _Alice grinned up at me and I came to an abrupt halt.

"You _called_ her? Why?"

She stopped and some yards away from me with Jasper and she replied as she came back towards me, "Because she loves you, and she needed to know you still love her." She shrugged when she stopped in front of me and smiled. "I told her you would go back."

That alone made me happier than I had been in days, and Jasper grinned along with me. She still loved me after all of this! I could go now, and be with her! Perhaps I could take an airplane this time, and be there in no more than a few hours…

_Go brother,_ Jasper urged me. I didn't need any urging. I was past being convinced. In my mind, I was already there next to her, breathing her in, kissing her beautiful lips, caressing her hair, her glistening skin…

"Of course, we'll come with you if you want," Alice shrugged again, "Though we'll likely end up getting punished too, if we ever come back."

I smiled even more than and hugged my little sister tight, sweeping her off the ground in my earnest. "Oh, I think I can figure out a way to get us out of trouble."

**Woah, another chappie of Convince Me :) **

**So I finished Breaking Dawn!! Did everyone like it?? Send me a PM about it please if you want to talk about it; don't put spoilers in reviews!**

**That being said, please REVIEW!! I love them… :D**

**Hope you enjoyed! And what is he talking about… he can figure out a way…? Hint: He's said it before, but to a different person….**

**LOVE,**

**REESE (AKA ALEATOIRE)**


	12. Have Two Then

**This took waaaay too long, I deeply apologize! **

**Carlisle POV: **

He'd fled. And taken Alice and Jasper along with him. Aro was furious, naturally; he'd prized the three like they were each the prodigal. Caius had wanted to send a team out to 'take care of' them, but I assured him they would be returning.

I hoped they didn't; maybe there was hope for my family after all. The Volturi were like the Mafia: once you were in, you were in for life – or in a vampire's case, forever.

***

**Bella POV:**

"Bella dear, there's someone at the door for you!"

Who on earth would that be? It had to be a vampire, that was for sure. Unless humans stayed up till four a.m. on school nights… The only vampire I could think of that would come here would be… No, it couldn't be.

I made my way down the stairs slowly, not incredibly excited at being dragged out of my bedroom.

"Hello Bella," a miniscule pixie of a vampire grinned hugely up at me from just inside the doorframe. Her voice sounded oddly familiar…

"Alice?" I asked, and she positively bounced her head of spiky black hair up and down.

"Good to know you two are already acquainted," a beautiful voice remarked drily from behind Alice's petite frame.

I couldn't say anything. Alice cleared the way for him to run forward and clutch me as close to him as was inhumanly possible. It had only been a few days, which should have been nothing to a vampire, but separation from Edward was like separating water from the earth. It couldn't, and shouldn't, be done. I needed him to live, lest I live my endless life alone.

We took the time we had now to get used to the feel of each other again: the way his strong arms felt around me, the way his body felt against mine, the way his lips felt against my lips, the way his sweet scent seemed to intoxicate me. I ran my hands over every inch and plane of his body: his chest, his face, his hair. He did the same to me, just as fervently. We may have had superior memories, but memories could not compare to how he affected me in person.

"We do have business matters to discuss, Edward, Bella," some time later a quiet voice broke through our private little world to bring me back to reality. I drew back from Edward to stare at the speaker, a tall blond haired male with a calmness about him that seemed to exude throughout the room.

"You must be Jasper," I stepped forward to shake his hand, and he nodded. "Well, come in then, let's figure this out, shall we?"

I ushered them down the hallway and into the living room, where Alice took a seat in the armchair in the corner, Jasper leaned against the wall beside her, and Edward and I sat down on the couch.

"Alright, what's the deal?" I asked as Edward's arm settled around my shoulders. "Why'd you come back?"

"Well love," Edward began, his choice of words making my long-dead heart threaten to start beating again, "I had to come back, for you. In fact, I never should have left." He ran a hand through his tousled bronze hair and stole a glance over at Alice, who was smiling with glee.

"So… you came back, but why bring Alice and Jasper with you this time?" I leaned into his comforting embrace even further and Alice looked like she was about to burst with happiness.

"We can best understand what he's going through, or, in other words, we know the truth. If the Volturi knew Edward was lying to protect you, to keep you from them, he would be severely punished for disobeying orders," Jasper explained.

"Why do you know the truth and the others don't?"

"Our powers are the only ones in the city that could derive the truth from Edward, without having him speak. Of course, Aro could as well, but Edward didn't get anywhere near him – thankfully." Alice's musical voice answered my question, but I had another.

"What's Aro's power?"

Edward had this answer for me. "He can read minds as well, but he requires contact in order to do so – a touch on the hand or arm. But, unlike me, he has access to every thought a person has ever had, every memory one has ever experienced. So you see the dilemma speaking to him would have presented for me. And luckily for me, these two are much more understanding than _him_." He growled the last word in contempt, and I reached my hand over his lap to put his left hand in my right.

"You don't like him, do you?" I asked softly, and he sighed, which answered my question.

I never did get a spoken reply out of him, and thankfully the silence was broken by soft footfalls padding down the hallway, which soon gave way to my mother's voice calling my name. She'd disappeared after calling me down from my room earlier.

"In here Mom," I rolled my eyes at her volume and looked over at Edward and his siblings. He was smiling as if on the verge of laughter, Alice held the same expression, and Jasper looked, well… giddy. I sighed and rolled my eyes again as Renee entered the room, her mood and expression mirroring Jasper's. That was Renee for you – she was infectious, but here in a more literal sense. Sure enough, I soon felt that same giddy spirit enter me as Jasper fought to control himself.

"Edward!" She squealed just before Jasper whisked the excitement away and replaced it with calm. "Oh, and you've brought friends too. How nice. I'm Renee Swan, Bella's mother."

"Oh we know," Alice smiled conspiratorially, and held out a hand for Renee to shake. She took it and Alice continued, "I'm Alice Cullen, Edward's sister."

"And you are…?" Renee was already on to Jasper, and he smiled politely as they shook hands.

"Jasper Hale ma'am, Alice's husband and Edward's brother-in-law."

I shot a sideways glance at Edward and he shrugged. I'd thought there were only brothers and sisters in the Cullen family… Oh. That would sound strange to people like my mother, who believed in such things as in-laws.

"Oh how excellent! And did you two find each other as humans, or…?" Renee always found hearing a good love story irresistible.

"It's an incredibly long story, even for those who have all of time, albeit a very happy one," Jasper replied, and disappointment fell upon my mother's face as she stood facing the much taller vampire. Another smile easily replaced it and she continued on with her questions as she took a seat down on the armrest of Alice's chair.

"So, when's the wedding?"

"Mom, we're not quite there yet, okay?" I sighed and Edward squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "When we do get there, I'll be certain to tell you right away, alright?"

"Bella, you don't have to dismiss your own mother from this conversation, you know," Jasper informed me, resting a hand on Renee's shoulder to keep her from getting up. "She has a right to understand the situation. And besides, she'd just hear us from inside the kitchen anyways."

"I wasn't dismissing her, don't worry Mom, you can stay here! I'm just so stressed about all of this…"

"As are we all, my love," Edward assured me, "But we'll figure it out."

"How long can you stay here?" Renee asked, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Oh no Renee, we couldn't, not here, it'd have to be in Volterra…" Edward stuttered as Alice began to giggle.

"So have two then!" My mother clapped her hands together in joy.

"Have two _what_, exactly?" I asked, exasperated.

"Weddings!" She cried, and I blanched even further, if that were at all possible.

**Oh how short this chapter is, but I feared for my life if I left it for too much longer. It's been… almost five whole months. Oh my Edward that is just unacceptable. So here you go, long awaited I'm sure. Please review, I would like to get a lot this chapter – and I mean a lot please :) **

**Thanks,**

**Reese**


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